Welcome and
Happy Sabbath to you!
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Welcome to 3ABN
Sabbath School Panel.
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You know, what a joy and
what a treat it has been quarter
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to be studying the Book of
Acts, and we've been praying
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that this will be
such a blessing to you.
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And so we just want to
encourage you to be sure
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and stay tuned-in
today because this lesson is
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to me, it's awesome.
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It's really some things
that we need to be studying;
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we need to be knowing
for the time that we live in.
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So we're glad
you're with us today.
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We're going to be on lesson
#11, if you have your little
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booklet and your
little guide, just get that,
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and get it opened up and
be sure and join in with us.
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A pencil and a pen
would be good because
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a lot of information
that I hear from our panel,
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I tell ya, we need to jot
it down because we need to go
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back and study these things.
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So anyway, we hope
you've enjoyed these lessons.
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I don't know about the
panel, I'm sure they have,
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but as I've looked at these
lessons, they're so informative
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#1- you don't want to miss it;
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there are happy times -
you know I get real excited
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sometimes when I read the
Book of Acts and then also,
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it makes me almost
want to shed some tears
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because there is some sadness
that goes along with that.
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But I think it's well-rounded
lessons that we are studying
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here, but also it just
has brought out how God has
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led in the
development of the early church,
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and how He has established
it and it is an example for us
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here in these last days.
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I know that we are
nearing the end of the quarter,
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but yet there may be
someone who doesn't have
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your study guide.
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You would want to get
that study guide because,
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you know what,
you can go back...
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You've missed a lot of
lessons, but if you have this,
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you can go back and
study, and then study, and study
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again and take
it to someone else.
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So if you haven't
got your lesson book,
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I'd like for you to do
that by downloading it to:
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ABSG.Adventist.org
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Now, if you do that,
you'll get these lessons,
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you'll have them and you
could study along with us,
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that's the Adult Bible
Study Guides, and so do that,
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even if you're... maybe you
use it a little and you say,
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"Well, I'm not an adult yet,"
it's alright, get those guides!
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We just want to
encourage you to do that,
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and if you do, you'll have them
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there and you can
study along with us.
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And you can also,
just continue to view 3ABN,
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see these
programs, go on YouTube,
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a lot of different ways,
you know, you can do it on a
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device of your choice,
just make sure that you
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tune-in and we're
happy that you have today.
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I'm glad to have
our panel with us today.
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I kinda look at you
as the pillars of this
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Sabbath School class because
you're here all the time.
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That means you spend a
lot of in the study of the
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word of God and you bring
such good information to each
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and every one of
us, and I know the folks
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who are viewing and listening
will just thoroughly enjoy
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and it's a shame that we have
to introduce because everybody
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knows you folks, but I'm
a firm believer in this...
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There are new viewers every
time, and because that may be
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your new viewer today,
we are going to introduce
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those who are going to be
bringing the word of God to us,
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to my left... Sister Mollie
Steenson - what a blessing,
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I love to work with you,
it's wonderful, (Thank you)
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and who do you
have on your left?
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I have my dear sister
Jill Morikone - she is the
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general manager of
3ABN, and an incredible
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Bible Study teacher!
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It's a privilege to be here and
to study together with each one.
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On my left is Pastor
C.A. Murray, my pastor,
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my friend, my mentor and we
say resident theologian here.
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And to my left is Ms.
Shelley Quinn... "Mrs."
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Well, you know, they say
that "Ms." is the formal setting
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in the business
corporate world. Oh well...
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From which you
have come, by the way.
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And many people
though... will write and say,
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"Are you single?"
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So we don't want
to put you back...
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We don't want to
do that to poor J.D.
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But, Bible student,
speaker for the Lord,
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and just a great person
and a pillar here at 3ABN.
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Well it is just a joy
and we want to thank you for
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joining us today
because Kenny, you know over
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the last few years, I've
really gotten to know you
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and your heart and
you're a precious soul and a
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warrior for the Lord,
so we're glad you're here!
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Alright, let's let
Jesus show through, right?
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Don't want to see me
for sure, Praise God!
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Well let's have prayer
shall we? Sister Mollie,
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would you just offer prayer
for us please? Yes, I will.
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Thank you Holy God,
for this opportunity
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that you're giving us to share
Your word with Your people.
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And Father, I pray for
everyone that's listening,
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everyone that's viewing,
Father, that You would touch
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their heart even now,
soften all of our hearts Father
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that as Your word goes
forth as good seed, Father,
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it will be planted in our heart,
it will take root and it will
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grow and it will produce
bountifully for Your Kingdom,
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and I thank You for
that, in Jesus name... Amen
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Amen, praise the Lord!
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We're on Lesson 11, by the
way and we're talking about
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the "Arrest in Jerusalem"
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But quickly, just an
overview of the Sabbath lesson,
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then we'll go on to
Sunday's, but memory text!
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In Acts 23:11- shall we read
that together? Are we ready?
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"And the night following,
the Lord stood by him,
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and said, "Be of good
cheer, (In the other verse,
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it just says, "take
courage," isn't that right?
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So let's not be confused.)
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Paul: for as thou hast
testified of Me, (Where?)
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in Jerusalem, so must thou
bear witness also at Rome."
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"Powerful" I think Brother C.A.
mentioned on what lesson before.
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We could spend a lot of time
just on that, we won't do that.
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But I love that the
Lord speaks to His people.
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He speaks to those who are
leading out and doing for Him.
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He said, "Take courage," because
it's going to take courage
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for Paul to go on to Rome.
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Paul was a man, what we found
out on Saturday's lesson here
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is a man of great
courage, and a man of trust,
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a man that built bridges and
he was trying to build a bridge
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the gap between naturally
the Jews and the Gentiles.
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This was his mission,
this was what he wanted to do
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between these two groups.
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But after his first missionary
journey, we learn that he said
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"There are still some problems."
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Everything
hadn't been worked out.
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There were some
fundamental differences
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that needed to be dealt
with... of how the Gentiles
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would still be admitted
to the faith, Acts 15:1-5,
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and the differences were,
Paul said, "You know what,
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I've got a plan." Now
I love this because Paul
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was a man with a
plan, he always had a plan!
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And I think he had plan
A, B and so on and so forth
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on down because, you know,
sometimes things fall apart.
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You think this is the
way it is and sometimes
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you gotta be quick to go.
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His plan was... Well,
let's get the Gentiles involved.
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Let's take up a collection
for the needy and the poor
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and to the Jews and they
will see that the Gentiles love
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the Jews and the Jews love
the Gentiles - so they were
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working back and
forth the brethren.
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So by giving... he
said, "Call for a collection,
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in 1 Corinthians 16:1 talks
about taking up a collection
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for the poor.
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Paul said, "This might bring
the unity that I'm working for
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that God wants to
have in the church."
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I found this out... Paul
longed for unity in the church;
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he worked for that unity and
it didn't make any difference
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if he had to suffer;
if he was going to have to
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give his life for it,
this is how he felt the
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importance of unity,
and I'd like for us to think
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about that in these
last days, whatever it takes.
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Paul now, though,
enters a new phase of his life,
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and his mission... as
we turn to Sunday's lesson.
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Lesson #11, Sunday's lesson.
"Meeting the Jerusalem Leaders"
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Think about meeting
these Jerusalem leaders...
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Why in this world,
would he be going meeting the
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Jerusalem leaders?
Notice what it was...
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Paul arrived in
Jerusalem... How did they?
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It seemed like to me
now... almost every time
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wherever he went, they
loved him to begin with.
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And then all of a
sudden, their loved turned into
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kind of a hate... a mob action.
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But anyway, the Bible
says in Acts 21:17, it says...
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"And when we had come
to Jerusalem, the brethren
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received him... How?
gladly!" Oh that was good!
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Now, let's set up this meeting
in Jerusalem and that's in
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Acts 21:18-22, so I'm
not going to read those
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just over them and maybe
give you a bottom-line of that.
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Acts chapter what? 21:18-22
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It says, "The next day Paul
arrived there, everybody seemed
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to love, the next
day, Paul met with James...
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Now James possibly was
the chairman of this council
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in Jerusalem - he
was the important man to
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meet with there, but
he wanted to meet with
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them and #1, the reason was why?
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Because they were concerned
about Paul's reputation.
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Paul's reputation had
been marred and when your
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character is marred, it's
very difficult to bounce back
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from that - maybe some of
us couldn't attest to that,
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maybe some of ya can,
but it's hard to bounce back
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from that - only God
can help you to do that.
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So it says there, Paul told
them all the good things first.
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He had the meeting, I love it...
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he always went on the positive.
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He started telling them
all the good things that had
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been happening, all the
things that were going on
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and they were praising God and
saying, "Man this is wonderful."
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Verse 20 says, "When they heard
it, they praised God simply.
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But, now Paul warns them,
he says this... now notice...
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"The Christian Jews, many
of them were still doing what?
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They were still
doing and carrying on the
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Old Testament rituals,
they were still doing it.
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Paul realized it, he knew
it needed to come to a stop.
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He knew it was no
longer binding, but he said,
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"You know what, it needs
to, but at least some of them
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were - maybe not all of them."
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Now this was very, we
call it "problematic."
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There was a problem here
with that because those who were
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zealous of the law
there in verse 20 of Acts 21,
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you know, they're zealous
and sometimes overzealous.
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And so they began to do what?
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Exaggerate about Paul's
relationship with Christ,
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and relationship with them.
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They began to
damage his character.
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Now notice in
character, please remember this,
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church members remember
this and if you are not a
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church member - never say
anything that would damage
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anyone's character - never
say anything, even if it's true!
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Never say it! Why?
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Because that person can
repent and they can turn,
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and they can be
like Jesus and be treated
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as though they never
sinned, but you know what?
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Human beings never get over it.
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"I heard," "I was told,"
and they cannot get past that,
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so please God help us not
00:10:06.94\00:10:08.54
to say anything that
would hurt the character.
00:10:08.57\00:10:10.47
They hurt Paul's
character here. Yes, they did.
00:10:10.51\00:10:12.27
And as soon as his character
was hurt, what happened?
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A wall came up,
people no longer wanted
00:10:14.18\00:10:16.14
to hear what he had to say.
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They had a lot of different
problems of the exaggeration.
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Paul suffered severely
because of these rumors and
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these things that were
said by professed Christians.
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These, I want to called
them "self-appointed" judges,
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you know... I will say this,
these self-appointed judges
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did not have an
experience with Christ.
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And how can I say that
when we talk about their
00:10:37.33\00:10:39.07
high-ups, their leaders,
whatever - because the Bible
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is very clear. Why?
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Because they lacked faith,
and what am I getting at here?
00:10:42.74\00:10:47.01
They lacked faith and to do
the works of religion which they
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wanted to do,
without faith is sin.
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Isn't that what the Bible says?
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Here in Romans 14:23 says...
"For whatsoever is not of what?
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of faith, is sin."
00:10:59.42\00:11:01.36
They weren't acting and reacting
in faith and so that was sin.
00:11:01.39\00:11:04.49
So these judgmental
twisters of the word,
00:11:05.56\00:11:08.10
said, "You know
Paul, he is not with us,"
00:11:08.13\00:11:10.03
these were serious charges,
these were serious charges,
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and the wall of
resentment, once again, went up.
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What did it do to the Jews?
00:11:16.57\00:11:18.51
They said, "Look
here, you are attacking our
00:11:18.54\00:11:21.34
historical position - this
is the way we've always been.
00:11:21.38\00:11:26.48
This is our
tradition, this is our what?
00:11:26.51\00:11:28.68
These are our customs and
you are attacking those things.
00:11:28.72\00:11:31.29
And we just don't like that."
00:11:31.32\00:11:33.52
They said, "Well you're
even attacking our public law,
00:11:33.56\00:11:36.32
our social relationships."
00:11:36.36\00:11:39.46
Everything poor
Paul did, they said,
00:11:39.49\00:11:40.86
"You're doing this thing wrong."
00:11:40.90\00:11:42.43
They even said, "Paul is
challenging our patriotism."
00:11:42.46\00:11:47.20
It's very interesting... which
would be one of the articles
00:11:47.27\00:11:49.84
in the last days -
you know, "patriotism."
00:11:49.87\00:11:51.57
You know, who are we going to
be patriotic to God or to man?
00:11:51.61\00:11:55.48
Even their
religious feelings were hurt.
00:11:55.51\00:11:59.95
Now sometimes we can get our
religious so called "feelings"
00:12:00.05\00:12:02.62
hurt - we have to be
very careful about that.
00:12:02.65\00:12:04.59
But, they assumed
that Paul had left them.
00:12:04.62\00:12:07.29
They assumed that Paul
left them in not only race,
00:12:07.36\00:12:10.93
but in religion.
00:12:10.96\00:12:12.29
Paul continued to insist
that the Gentile converts
00:12:12.33\00:12:15.33
were free from ceremonial
practices and that the man is
00:12:15.36\00:12:19.40
justified by faith and
not legalistic practices,
00:12:19.43\00:12:23.47
you know, Galatians
4:1-11, you can read that.
00:12:23.51\00:12:26.31
Colossians 2, you can read that.
00:12:26.34\00:12:28.04
So anyhow, we might have
to jump down because of our
00:12:28.08\00:12:30.91
time down here and I thought
it was very, very important.
00:12:30.95\00:12:33.11
Do we remember reading
in Acts 18:18 where Paul had
00:12:33.15\00:12:37.85
taken the Nasserite
vow, did he not? Um hm
00:12:37.89\00:12:40.62
Notice here and
it's kind of sad to say,
00:12:41.09\00:12:43.12
but Paul began to
compromise because the council
00:12:43.16\00:12:46.49
said, "If you want to be
accepted by these people..."
00:12:46.53\00:12:48.90
They were called and
they said... I don't think
00:12:48.93\00:12:50.63
any of you have
ever been through that...
00:12:50.70\00:12:52.03
Is if you want to get
along with this group,
00:12:52.07\00:12:53.40
you're going to
have to do it this way.
00:12:53.47\00:12:55.50
And they did
that to Paul, not that
00:12:55.54\00:12:57.54
he wanted to do it that way.
00:12:57.57\00:12:58.91
He went a step that
God never asked him to do.
00:12:58.94\00:13:01.94
And so, I don't think
I've seen that in anything
00:13:01.98\00:13:06.21
that Paul has written,
anything that he stood for,
00:13:06.25\00:13:08.62
that he ever really compromised,
00:13:08.65\00:13:10.22
but in this area, he
compromised - what did he do?
00:13:10.29\00:13:12.85
Well they said, "If you want
to get along, then we got...
00:13:12.89\00:13:15.26
what was it for?
People that were taking the
00:13:15.29\00:13:17.76
Nasserite vows and so you
get involved in that and help
00:13:17.79\00:13:20.40
them, play along with it
and then you take them too."
00:13:20.43\00:13:22.80
Well, they were asking him
to take and to do those things
00:13:22.83\00:13:26.23
which he was saying -
we no longer have to do.
00:13:26.27\00:13:28.70
But in order to try to
get along, he compromised.
00:13:28.74\00:13:32.74
We never want to
compromise the truth.
00:13:32.77\00:13:35.71
I'm a believer in compromise
because the older I get,
00:13:35.74\00:13:38.45
the more I love
peace and quiet, you know?
00:13:38.48\00:13:41.05
But, you know what?
I'm bound and determined
00:13:41.08\00:13:42.58
by the grace of God, never
to compromise what is truth.
00:13:42.62\00:13:45.99
The "Spirit of Prophecy"
says, "... when it comes to that
00:13:46.02\00:13:48.06
point, let there
be war if necessary
00:13:48.09\00:13:50.79
when you're
standing for what is truth."
00:13:50.83\00:13:52.46
But Paul, bless his heart,
it showed simply that Paul was
00:13:52.49\00:13:56.20
was what? A human
being, but he listened to man,
00:13:56.23\00:13:59.23
he wanted to try to work this
out - he wanted to take down
00:13:59.27\00:14:01.70
that wall, he wanted
to accomplish that which
00:14:01.74\00:14:03.41
God asked him to do,
but he got some bad advice.
00:14:03.44\00:14:06.54
Notice this - Quickly,
can someone in the leadership
00:14:06.57\00:14:10.75
position, someone who
has written inspiration...
00:14:10.78\00:14:13.42
ever give
somebody else bad advice?
00:14:13.45\00:14:15.55
Yes they can - when
they're not under the direct
00:14:15.58\00:14:19.29
unction of the Holy Spirit.
00:14:19.32\00:14:21.39
Sometimes humanity surfaced,
these were men that gave
00:14:21.42\00:14:23.73
this advice that
wrote Holy Scripture.
00:14:23.76\00:14:25.63
They gave the wrong
advice, so my caution is what?
00:14:25.66\00:14:28.93
Let's hear what
man has said, and then,
00:14:28.96\00:14:31.73
does it harmonize with
Scripture or does it not? Amen!
00:14:31.77\00:14:33.74
This is very, very important.
00:14:33.80\00:14:35.54
The Jerusalem leaders did
give some bad advice there,
00:14:35.57\00:14:38.24
they encouraged, to Paul.
00:14:38.27\00:14:39.81
So here Paul was
inconsistent, but praise God,
00:14:39.84\00:14:42.64
he certainly bounced
back, still a man of God;
00:14:42.68\00:14:44.95
still trying to get along;
still trying to, but again I
00:14:44.98\00:14:47.65
encourage you, in
order to get along...
00:14:47.68\00:14:49.55
I've heard people say this
in the church, "There are things
00:14:49.58\00:14:50.95
going on in the
church that's bad."
00:14:50.99\00:14:52.32
You know, but we say, "We've got
to compromise and let it go."
00:14:52.35\00:14:55.12
God does not compromise
with sin, not in the least.
00:14:55.62\00:15:00.53
He never has and He never will.
00:15:00.56\00:15:03.16
He expects us, as God's people,
to take a stand on these issues.
00:15:03.20\00:15:06.57
And so, praise God for
Paul, he was doing a tremendous
00:15:06.60\00:15:10.54
work and I'll
read this as I close...
00:15:10.61\00:15:12.11
"Acts of the Apostles,"
p.405, "Paul was not authorized
00:15:12.14\00:15:15.71
of God to concede
as much as they asked."
00:15:15.74\00:15:20.98
With that in mind,
Sister Mollie, I think we're
00:15:21.02\00:15:23.49
going to go to Monday's
lesson and we're talking about
00:15:23.52\00:15:25.82
"Riot in the
Temple," surely not!
00:15:25.85\00:15:29.69
Of all places for a
riot, thank you Pastor Kenny,
00:15:29.72\00:15:33.09
you put a good foundation
for this riot to take place.
00:15:33.13\00:15:36.26
And it's like
Pastor Kenny said...
00:15:36.30\00:15:39.30
Paul's reputation was suspect,
first from the Christian Jews,
00:15:39.33\00:15:46.88
because what had Paul been
doing prior to his conversion?
00:15:46.94\00:15:50.05
Persecuting
Christians. Persecuting.
00:15:50.11\00:15:52.41
So there was still
that hesitancy and then
00:15:52.45\00:15:57.69
to the Jews, he was teaching
00:15:57.72\00:16:01.59
what the religious
Jews, not the Christian Jews,
00:16:01.62\00:16:05.66
he was teaching what
they were opposed to.
00:16:05.69\00:16:09.13
So his reputation was
damaged on every side...
00:16:09.16\00:16:12.27
And it's like you
said Pastor Kenny...
00:16:12.30\00:16:14.14
when your reputation has
been damaged, then that is a
00:16:14.17\00:16:17.51
hard thing to spring back from.
00:16:17.54\00:16:19.47
He was being falsely accused...
now there's the word there,
00:16:19.51\00:16:22.78
I want us to hold on
to, "falsely accused"
00:16:22.81\00:16:26.25
by gossipmongers, of teaching
blasphemy and even those
00:16:26.28\00:16:32.69
who knew better - and
this is the painful thing...
00:16:32.72\00:16:35.36
Even those that knew that
Paul wasn't teaching blasphemy,
00:16:35.39\00:16:40.70
they wouldn't stand up
for him, they wouldn't take a
00:16:40.73\00:16:43.23
stand on his behalf.
00:16:43.26\00:16:44.90
So in his attempt, and you
have to kinda understand this...
00:16:44.93\00:16:49.64
in his humanness
because he was a human too,
00:16:49.67\00:16:53.14
and he had feelings.
00:16:53.17\00:16:54.51
Because he is the Apostle
Paul, we put him way up here
00:16:54.54\00:16:57.25
thinking he couldn't make a
mistake, but he had a heart,
00:16:57.31\00:17:01.78
and he hurt also.
00:17:01.82\00:17:03.82
In an attempt to salvage
some part of his reputation,
00:17:03.85\00:17:07.72
Paul accepted the church
leaders' suggestion to do this
00:17:07.76\00:17:12.76
thing in an attempt to prove
that he was politically correct.
00:17:12.79\00:17:17.37
Now that was his motivation.
00:17:17.40\00:17:19.30
Therefore, he would need
to undergo a 7-day ritual
00:17:19.33\00:17:23.94
purification to
assist in the completion
00:17:24.01\00:17:26.88
of these men's vows.
00:17:26.91\00:17:28.91
At the same time,
Jewish tradition stipulated
00:17:28.94\00:17:33.25
that any person
coming from Gentile lands...
00:17:33.28\00:17:35.88
Now where was Paul
coming from - he was coming in
00:17:35.92\00:17:38.75
from Gentile lands.
00:17:38.79\00:17:40.16
...would be unclean and so
unable to enter the temple.
00:17:40.19\00:17:44.86
This is why Paul had to
purify himself before going
00:17:44.89\00:17:49.33
to the priest to give notice
of his purification process
00:17:49.36\00:17:53.20
related to the Nasserites.
00:17:53.23\00:17:54.97
Now I want to give you a little
description of that temple
00:17:55.00\00:17:58.97
in Jerusalem.
00:17:59.01\00:18:00.51
We've seen the ruins of
it, some of us have had the
00:18:00.54\00:18:03.68
amazing
opportunity to go to Jerusalem,
00:18:03.98\00:18:07.82
and it was a massive temple.
00:18:07.85\00:18:10.72
Now the temple mount complex
was divided into sections.
00:18:10.75\00:18:17.66
The outer most area of
the temple was called the
00:18:17.69\00:18:20.96
"Court of the Gentiles"
because it could be entered
00:18:20.96\00:18:24.17
by all people; however, there
was an inner section called
00:18:24.20\00:18:29.27
the "Soreg," C.A. am I saying
that correctly? It's S-o-r-e-g.
00:18:29.30\00:18:34.54
The Soreg was a
fence that separated the
00:18:34.58\00:18:38.18
Court of the Gentiles
from the rest of the temple.
00:18:38.21\00:18:41.98
Gentiles and ritually unclean
Israelites were forbidden,
00:18:42.02\00:18:47.26
on pain of death, from
passing through its gates
00:18:47.29\00:18:50.86
to the interior areas.
00:18:50.93\00:18:52.96
The Jews in Jerusalem
were so zealous in keeping the
00:18:52.99\00:18:56.73
purity of this area, that they
placed stones along the fence
00:18:56.77\00:19:01.14
written in Greek and
Latin which threatened death
00:19:01.17\00:19:05.27
to any Gentile
who would dare enter.
00:19:05.31\00:19:08.74
So let's take up now with
Acts 21... remember, we're
00:19:08.78\00:19:16.28
looking at a riot that's about
to take place in the temple.
00:19:16.32\00:19:19.72
Paul was about to go
into the temple and say,
00:19:19.75\00:19:22.99
"Look, I have been through
the purification process."
00:19:23.02\00:19:27.03
Here's what happens...
00:19:27.03\00:19:28.66
"Now when the seven
days were almost ended,
00:19:28.70\00:19:31.57
the Jews from Asia, (that's
an important thing to remember,
00:19:31.60\00:19:34.30
who was it? The Jews from Asia)
00:19:34.34\00:19:36.47
... seeing him in the temple,
stirred up the whole crowd
00:19:36.50\00:19:40.38
and laid hands on him,
crying out, "Men of Israel,
00:19:40.41\00:19:44.15
help! This is the man
who... (and then they start
00:19:44.18\00:19:48.02
ascribing to him all of the
things that he has done wrong,
00:19:48.05\00:19:52.65
all of these
blasphemies) ...who teaches only
00:19:52.69\00:19:55.59
and everywhere
against the people,
00:19:55.66\00:19:57.33
the law and this place; and
furthermore, he also brought
00:19:57.36\00:20:00.90
Greeks into the temple and
has defiled this holy place.
00:20:00.93\00:20:05.13
For they had previously
seen Trophimus the Ephesian
00:20:05.17\00:20:09.10
with him in the
city, whom they supposed...
00:20:09.14\00:20:12.01
(and they did what?
supposed - what's another word
00:20:12.04\00:20:15.38
for "supposed?" ...
assumed - now if you assume
00:20:15.41\00:20:19.05
something, that
doesn't prove it was true.
00:20:19.08\00:20:22.68
...they assumed that Paul
had brought him to the temple.)
00:20:22.72\00:20:25.89
And all the city was
disturbed and the people ran
00:20:25.92\00:20:29.56
together, seized Paul and
dragged him out of the temple
00:20:29.59\00:20:33.50
and immediately
the doors were shut.
00:20:33.56\00:20:36.33
All of this is based on
rumors, false ones at that,
00:20:36.36\00:20:41.10
and it's those false rumors that
00:20:41.14\00:20:43.54
helped start this riot.
00:20:43.57\00:20:45.21
And I just want to say this...
00:20:45.24\00:20:47.14
I know that sometimes I
say things that you've heard
00:20:47.21\00:20:50.31
so many times, but
there's truth to them.
00:20:50.38\00:20:52.98
"Don't believe
anything you hear and only...
00:20:53.01\00:20:56.82
half of what you see."
00:20:56.85\00:20:58.95
Because we can be so deceived!
00:20:58.99\00:21:01.72
Now a riot is in
progress caused by those who
00:21:01.76\00:21:05.53
stirred them up against
Paul with false accusations.
00:21:05.56\00:21:12.07
False accusations!
00:21:12.10\00:21:13.64
The most heinous
accusation was that he had
00:21:13.70\00:21:17.91
desecrated the
temple by bringing a Gentile
00:21:17.94\00:21:22.44
into the Soreg - remember
that area where there are the
00:21:22.48\00:21:27.08
stones that say,
"Death to anybody,
00:21:27.12\00:21:29.62
any Gentile that enters here."
00:21:29.65\00:21:31.45
One of Paul's
traveling companions was truly
00:21:31.49\00:21:35.36
a Gentile believer, and
I mentioned him earlier,
00:21:35.39\00:21:39.16
Trophimus - he was an Ephesian.
00:21:39.19\00:21:41.33
If the accusation was
legitimate, if there was truth
00:21:41.36\00:21:46.13
in what they were accusing
Paul of - he would be guilty
00:21:46.17\00:21:50.07
and deserve what he was getting.
00:21:50.14\00:21:52.61
However, Paul hadn't brought
Trophimus into the Soreg,
00:21:52.64\00:21:56.48
that was - that word again,
it was a false "accusation."
00:21:56.51\00:22:01.52
Nonetheless, the accusations
served to set the whole mob off.
00:22:01.55\00:22:05.95
The riot moved through
the temple courts with wild
00:22:05.99\00:22:09.76
excitement.
00:22:09.79\00:22:11.13
These rioters were
determined to kill Paul. Yes
00:22:11.16\00:22:15.10
Now, I've never been in a
riot, I've only seen riots
00:22:15.13\00:22:18.97
on television - any of you ever
seen those riots on television?
00:22:19.00\00:22:22.57
I don't want to be
in a riot. Me neither!
00:22:22.60\00:22:24.64
People - there is terminology
like "wild excitement."
00:22:24.67\00:22:30.51
When the news of the
riot... now see, at this time,
00:22:30.55\00:22:33.31
the Romans were in
charge in Jerusalem,
00:22:33.38\00:22:36.89
so the news reached the
Roman fortress - the law keepers
00:22:36.95\00:22:41.76
there or the peace
keepers there in Jerusalem.
00:22:41.79\00:22:45.19
The Roman commander, Claudius
Lysias, came with troops
00:22:45.23\00:22:50.80
to rescue Paul - before
the crowd could kill him.
00:22:50.83\00:22:55.17
So the Romans were
interceding on Paul's behalf.
00:22:55.20\00:22:58.57
And I'll read this...
starting in verse 31, Acts 21
00:22:58.61\00:23:03.11
"Now as they were seeking
to kill him...(what were they
00:23:03.14\00:23:05.78
seeking to do? In this riot,
they were out to kill Paul)
00:23:05.81\00:23:09.28
...news came to commander of
the garrison that all Jerusalem
00:23:09.32\00:23:12.35
was in an uproar.
00:23:12.39\00:23:13.76
He immediately took
soldiers and centurions,
00:23:13.79\00:23:16.29
and ran down to them.
00:23:16.32\00:23:17.66
And when they saw the
commander and the soldiers,
00:23:17.69\00:23:19.93
they stopped beating Paul.
00:23:20.00\00:23:21.56
Then the commander came near
and took him and commanded him
00:23:21.60\00:23:24.47
to be bound with two
chains; and he asked who he was
00:23:24.50\00:23:28.74
and what he had done...
And nobody could give him
00:23:28.77\00:23:31.34
a straight answer -
so that being the case,
00:23:31.37\00:23:34.24
because he couldn't
get a straight answer,
00:23:34.28\00:23:36.38
you know what he
did? He arrested Paul
00:23:36.41\00:23:38.75
and he took him to, it
says, "to the barracks."
00:23:38.78\00:23:41.82
Now, the multitude were
just clamoring after Paul
00:23:41.85\00:23:45.19
and they were
crying, "Away with him."
00:23:45.22\00:23:47.89
What were they
wanting this commander to do?
00:23:47.92\00:23:50.63
They were wanting
the commander to turn him
00:23:50.69\00:23:53.06
back over to them and
what were they going to do?
00:23:53.09\00:23:55.70
They were going to kill him.
00:23:55.73\00:23:57.40
When the commander
couldn't get a straight answer
00:23:57.43\00:24:00.04
when he asked who Paul
was and what he had done,
00:24:00.07\00:24:02.97
he arrested Paul and
took him to the barracks.
00:24:03.00\00:24:05.51
Do you know what
this did? Paul's arrest...
00:24:05.54\00:24:08.34
It saved his life. Yes it did.
00:24:08.38\00:24:09.91
If he hadn't
arrested him and taken him
00:24:09.94\00:24:13.01
up to the barracks,
Paul was going to fall back
00:24:13.05\00:24:15.75
into the hands of
these clamoring people.
00:24:15.78\00:24:18.62
And what had set them
off in the first place?
00:24:18.65\00:24:21.09
Was it Paul's actions?
Was it his blasphemous ways?
00:24:21.56\00:24:25.69
What it his heresies?
00:24:25.73\00:24:27.76
No, it was false
accusations. Yes!
00:24:27.83\00:24:31.20
Fake news! I
like that Pastor C.A.
00:24:31.23\00:24:34.54
False - it was rumors.
00:24:34.57\00:24:36.60
The Apostle Paul
knew what was ahead of him
00:24:36.67\00:24:39.21
when he went to Jerusalem...
had he not been told
00:24:39.24\00:24:41.31
on a couple of occasions. Yes
00:24:41.34\00:24:42.88
But, here was his motivator...
00:24:42.91\00:24:45.21
He had genuine love,
Pastor Kenny brought that out,
00:24:45.25\00:24:48.32
for the fellow
Jews and he longed
00:24:48.35\00:24:50.55
for unity in the church.
00:24:50.59\00:24:52.12
He was willing to lay down
his life for this young church.
00:24:52.15\00:24:56.39
Now here is a lesson that I
want us all to take from this...
00:24:56.42\00:25:00.96
"Be careful when rumors
are flying... what you hear,
00:25:01.00\00:25:04.90
and more
importantly, what you spread."
00:25:04.93\00:25:08.24
And I want to leave
us with this Scripture...
00:25:08.27\00:25:10.64
It's Ephesians 4:29,
out of the King James...
00:25:10.71\00:25:13.91
"Let no corrupt communication
proceed out of your mouth,
00:25:13.98\00:25:17.55
but that which is good
to the use of edifying,
00:25:17.58\00:25:20.42
that it may minister
grace to the hearers."
00:25:20.45\00:25:23.79
That's a good Scripture to
start your day with every day!
00:25:23.82\00:25:27.36
AMEN! Amen! Amen!
Thank you so much Mollie!
00:25:27.39\00:25:30.23
You are on fire today!
00:25:30.26\00:25:32.13
And Pastor Kenny,
wonderful foundation there.
00:25:32.16\00:25:35.10
You know, when we get to heaven,
I have so many questions! Yes
00:25:35.13\00:25:38.97
So many questions
that I want to ask God...
00:25:39.00\00:25:41.47
So many questions that I
want to ask the Apostle Paul!
00:25:41.50\00:25:44.41
And, you know, one of those
questions - and this is not
00:25:44.44\00:25:46.94
to throw a little rabbit
in there because we're not
00:25:46.98\00:25:49.48
going down this trail,
but this is just something
00:25:49.51\00:25:51.51
that came to my mind
as we were studying here.
00:25:51.55\00:25:53.58
Pastor Kenny, you talked
about how Paul had compromised,
00:25:53.62\00:25:57.35
and this is the first time
that we see recorded in Acts
00:25:57.39\00:26:00.49
where he did that.
00:26:00.52\00:26:01.89
And then, Mollie,
you talked about the riot
00:26:01.92\00:26:04.06
that took place and the
false accusations against him...
00:26:04.09\00:26:06.93
Just in my simple
mind, I wonder if he had not
00:26:06.96\00:26:10.57
compromised, would this never
have happened in the temple.
00:26:10.60\00:26:13.84
You know, we never know!
00:26:13.87\00:26:15.27
We make certain decisions
and then you don't know what's
00:26:15.30\00:26:19.41
gonna take place or what's going
to happen as a result of that.
00:26:19.44\00:26:22.21
Now we know that God,
no matter what happens,
00:26:22.24\00:26:24.98
no matter what
decisions we make, if we submit
00:26:25.01\00:26:27.22
and commit our lives to
Him, He can work all things out
00:26:27.25\00:26:30.59
for good and we know
that the gospel was going
00:26:30.62\00:26:33.12
to Rome and that Paul was
able to then share it at Rome,
00:26:33.15\00:26:36.22
so I'm not saying
any of that, it's just
00:26:36.26\00:26:38.46
interesting to me - you
know, that's a question I'd
00:26:38.49\00:26:40.50
like to ask the
Lord Jesus Christ.
00:26:40.53\00:26:42.26
My part here is
Tuesday, "Before the Crowd"
00:26:42.30\00:26:46.27
We're in AD 59, this
took place when Paul had come
00:26:46.30\00:26:49.84
back to Jerusalem -
as has been mentioned
00:26:49.87\00:26:52.11
for the feast in AD
59, and I want to mention
00:26:52.14\00:26:56.11
one thing before we get to
my section because this will
00:26:56.14\00:26:59.08
be important for my section.
00:26:59.11\00:27:00.58
This is what Mollie had talked
about - we're in Acts 21:27-28.
00:27:00.65\00:27:06.45
Now this is when
the riot actually began
00:27:06.49\00:27:08.79
there in the temple.
00:27:08.82\00:27:10.16
I want to point out there
were two types of Jews who were
00:27:10.19\00:27:13.53
present at this riot
and we've talked about this
00:27:13.56\00:27:16.43
all throughout the Book of Acts.
00:27:16.46\00:27:17.87
We have Hellenistic Jews
which are Greek-speaking;
00:27:17.90\00:27:21.07
they're not
native from Palestine;
00:27:21.10\00:27:22.90
they're from other parts
who maybe came in for the
00:27:22.94\00:27:25.14
feasts or whatever; but
they speak Greek and they're
00:27:25.17\00:27:28.51
more assimilated
to the Greek culture.
00:27:28.54\00:27:30.55
Then you have the Judean
Jews, the Hebrews, the ones who
00:27:30.58\00:27:34.22
were born in Palestine;
the ones who spoke Aramaic;
00:27:34.25\00:27:37.99
the ones who were very strict
and zealous, as it were Shelley,
00:27:38.02\00:27:41.89
for keeping the law and both
of these people were involved
00:27:41.92\00:27:46.80
in the riot because in
verse 27, the Jews from Asia...
00:27:46.83\00:27:50.43
They were the ones who
first started that riot.
00:27:50.47\00:27:52.93
They would be the
Hellenistic Jews because Asia
00:27:52.97\00:27:55.40
is not,
obviously, from Palestine.
00:27:55.44\00:27:58.17
Then they laid hands on them,
and in verse 28, it says...
00:27:58.21\00:28:02.21
"Men of Israel,
help." (They were calling,
00:28:02.24\00:28:05.25
the Hellenistic Jews,
the Greek-speaking Jews,
00:28:05.28\00:28:07.55
were calling out to the
Judean Jews - those who were
00:28:07.58\00:28:11.19
born in Palestine - who
were very strict about their
00:28:11.22\00:28:13.99
observance of all of these legal
issues and they said - help us.
00:28:14.02\00:28:18.03
So the riot was
formed a composition of both,
00:28:18.06\00:28:21.23
and that will be
important as we go on.)
00:28:21.26\00:28:23.47
So now we're in Acts
21:37, the Roman commander and
00:28:23.50\00:28:30.01
the Roman who took him
and actually arrested Paul,
00:28:30.04\00:28:32.84
they literally saved his
life from the mob at that point.
00:28:32.87\00:28:36.68
And then verse 37, then Paul
was about to be led into the
00:28:36.75\00:28:41.15
barracks - he said to
the commander, "May I speak
00:28:41.18\00:28:43.79
to you" and the commander
said, "Can you speak Greek?"
00:28:43.82\00:28:47.16
So Paul obviously addressed
him in Greek and the commander
00:28:47.19\00:28:50.23
was surprised because he
thought he was an Egyptian.
00:28:50.26\00:28:53.40
He said, "Are you not the
Egyptian who some time ago
00:28:53.43\00:28:56.83
stirred up a rebellion and led
00:28:56.87\00:28:58.43
4,000 assassins out
into the wilderness?"
00:28:58.47\00:29:01.60
And Paul said, Uh uh,
I'm a Jew from Tarsus,
00:29:01.64\00:29:04.67
in Cilicia, a citizen of
no mean city; I implore you,
00:29:04.71\00:29:09.21
please allow me to speak to
the people, allow me to speak.
00:29:09.24\00:29:13.21
And so the commander said,
00:29:13.25\00:29:14.75
"Yes, I'll give you
permission to speak."
00:29:14.78\00:29:16.55
"Paul stood on the stairs
and motioned with his hand
00:29:16.58\00:29:19.05
to the people to be quiet.
00:29:19.09\00:29:21.02
And when there was a
great silence, he spoke to them
00:29:21.06\00:29:23.86
in the Hebrew language."
00:29:23.89\00:29:25.83
And then we get to
chapter 22 of Acts and he begins
00:29:25.86\00:29:28.83
his defense with the Jews there.
00:29:28.86\00:29:31.30
Now my question to you,
Mollie, is - Why did Paul
00:29:31.33\00:29:34.17
speak to the crowd in
Hebrew when most everybody
00:29:34.24\00:29:37.41
in that crowd or maybe
half of that crowd could not
00:29:37.44\00:29:40.78
understand?
00:29:40.81\00:29:42.14
We know, as we looked earlier,
there were the Hellenistic Jews
00:29:42.18\00:29:45.65
and they spoke Greek, so
the ones who spoke Greek,
00:29:45.68\00:29:48.22
maybe they understood Hebrew,
but there were some of them
00:29:48.25\00:29:50.49
who would not have and
they were not understanding
00:29:50.52\00:29:53.39
Paul's defense at all.
00:29:53.46\00:29:54.79
And then, of course,
there were the men of Israel,
00:29:54.82\00:29:57.23
the Judean Jews who did
understand Hebrew there.
00:29:57.26\00:30:00.43
I think, Paul,
#1...Had a special
00:30:00.50\00:30:03.13
connection to those Jews.
00:30:03.16\00:30:05.53
We know that Paul is a
Hellenistic Jew because he
00:30:05.57\00:30:08.14
was born in Tarsus
and he spoke Greek.
00:30:08.17\00:30:10.77
But remember, he
came to Jerusalem, pastor,
00:30:10.81\00:30:13.01
and he studied under
Gamaliel and he was a
00:30:13.04\00:30:16.28
Pharisee of the Pharisees
before he was converted
00:30:16.31\00:30:21.12
on the road to Damascus.
00:30:21.15\00:30:22.58
So in a special sense, he
understood their traditions.
00:30:22.62\00:30:25.49
He understood their laws.
00:30:25.52\00:30:27.32
He understood that.
00:30:27.36\00:30:28.72
And I don't know,
in my simple mind,
00:30:28.76\00:30:31.23
I think maybe he
thought "If God can change me,
00:30:31.26\00:30:33.96
and I was one of
them, maybe He can
00:30:34.00\00:30:37.00
change them as well."
00:30:37.03\00:30:39.00
In addition, the Hebrew
Jews, the Judean Jews were
00:30:39.03\00:30:42.10
most violently
opposed to his work.
00:30:42.14\00:30:44.54
Wouldn't you
say that's accurate?
00:30:44.57\00:30:46.07
Because he was
sending the gospel
00:30:46.11\00:30:50.88
to the Gentiles and
they were opposed to some
00:30:50.91\00:30:54.38
of that work - they were
opposed to the setting aside
00:30:54.42\00:30:56.55
of those ordinances and laws.
00:30:56.62\00:30:59.22
So if Paul can convince
them, what would happen...
00:30:59.25\00:31:02.26
maybe that would spread
to the Hellenistic Jews,
00:31:02.29\00:31:04.66
and maybe they
would be won over too.
00:31:04.69\00:31:07.20
And when he went to
Jerusalem, he also knew, pastor,
00:31:07.23\00:31:11.37
that this was maybe his
last time to address the people.
00:31:11.40\00:31:15.37
He knew when he was going
to Jerusalem something might
00:31:15.40\00:31:18.81
happen there.
00:31:18.84\00:31:20.58
And like Stephen, when he
gave his address, before the
00:31:20.64\00:31:24.55
men and brethren
there at the Sanhedrin.
00:31:24.58\00:31:27.08
I believe he had a
special appeal for them as well.
00:31:27.12\00:31:29.88
So, for a moment here,
let's look at the differences
00:31:29.92\00:31:32.92
between Paul's defense here,
this is in Acts 22:1-21-22...
00:31:32.95\00:31:42.03
And Stephen's defense, or
actually it's not Stephen's
00:31:42.06\00:31:45.43
defense, maybe his offence or we
call it the "rib," the covenant
00:31:45.47\00:31:49.30
law suit that he gave
against the Sanhedrin there.
00:31:49.34\00:31:51.71
There are a couple of
differences I want to point out.
00:31:51.74\00:31:54.04
In Acts 22, Paul
is speaking in Hebrew,
00:31:54.11\00:32:00.72
and he is speaking
to the Judean Jews.
00:32:00.75\00:32:02.88
And, what was he
accused of, Mollie?
00:32:02.92\00:32:05.02
You read that in your
portion, he was accused of
00:32:05.05\00:32:07.46
speaking against the Jews,
of speaking against the law,
00:32:07.49\00:32:11.06
and the temple - we
see that in Acts 21:28.
00:32:11.96\00:32:15.60
Now what was Stephen accused of?
00:32:15.63\00:32:18.70
We won't look it
up but in Acts 6:13,
00:32:18.73\00:32:21.30
he was accused of
speaking against the law
00:32:21.34\00:32:23.47
and speaking against the temple.
00:32:23.51\00:32:25.61
Now this is almost 25 years
after the stoning of Stephen,
00:32:25.64\00:32:29.28
and the
accusations are the same.
00:32:29.31\00:32:32.75
Now there is also a
great difference in their
00:32:32.78\00:32:34.82
two speeches here.
00:32:34.85\00:32:36.75
Stephen spoke from the
Old Testament Scriptures,
00:32:36.79\00:32:39.45
and the history of
Israel, that was really what
00:32:39.49\00:32:42.36
he shared when he spoke.
00:32:42.39\00:32:44.29
Paul spoke from his
own conversion experience.
00:32:44.33\00:32:48.10
Stephen initially
said "our fathers" and then
00:32:48.13\00:32:51.77
we get to the middle of
his testimony and he switches,
00:32:51.80\00:32:54.30
and he says, "You
stiff-necked people!"
00:32:54.34\00:32:56.77
And he separates
himself; Paul, when he speaks,
00:32:56.84\00:32:59.91
he tries to identify
with the Pharisaical Jews.
00:32:59.94\00:33:04.65
Stephen did not defend
himself, instead he was
00:33:04.68\00:33:08.15
indicting the Jews
for what they had done.
00:33:08.18\00:33:10.79
Paul defended
himself as a faithful Jew
00:33:10.82\00:33:13.86
and true to the Scriptures.
00:33:13.89\00:33:15.22
Now Paul gives his
conversion account three times
00:33:15.26\00:33:17.83
in the Book of Acts.
00:33:17.86\00:33:19.63
The first time is in the first
person, Luke just records that
00:33:19.66\00:33:23.43
conversion
experience... that's in Acts 9.
00:33:23.47\00:33:26.53
The second time, this
is a first person account
00:33:26.57\00:33:28.97
in Acts 22.
00:33:29.00\00:33:30.57
The third time is when
he shares his conversion
00:33:30.61\00:33:32.97
account before King
Agrippa and that is in Acts 28.
00:33:33.01\00:33:37.01
All three of those
accounts share the power
00:33:37.05\00:33:39.25
of the risen Christ.
00:33:39.28\00:33:40.72
The first account focuses
the most on Paul's relationship
00:33:40.78\00:33:44.55
to Ananias and the
Christian community.
00:33:44.59\00:33:46.92
This account emphasizes his
"Jewishness," he talks about
00:33:46.96\00:33:51.83
coming from Tarsus
of Cilicia and studying
00:33:51.86\00:33:54.30
under the feet of Gamaliel.
00:33:54.36\00:33:55.90
He talks about
being zealous and keeping
00:33:55.93\00:33:58.70
all the commandments
of the law and how he
00:33:58.73\00:34:00.94
persecuted the Christians,
and he identifies with his
00:34:00.97\00:34:04.41
Jewishness, then he goes
into the account of on the road
00:34:04.44\00:34:07.48
to Damascus and how he
saw the vision of Jesus,
00:34:07.51\00:34:10.95
the Lord Jesus Christ
and what took place there,
00:34:10.98\00:34:13.82
and Jesus said, "Why are
you kicking against the goads.
00:34:13.85\00:34:16.89
Why are you persecuting
me," and how he was converted.
00:34:16.92\00:34:21.79
The third account - this is the
one in Acts 26, to King Agrippa,
00:34:21.82\00:34:25.99
focuses more on the mission
to the Gentiles showing that
00:34:26.03\00:34:29.86
that is of divine origin.
00:34:29.90\00:34:32.87
Now, in all three accounts
there is a certain section that
00:34:32.90\00:34:36.91
only happens in this account
and that's in verse 17...
00:34:36.97\00:34:39.87
He talks about when he was
in Jerusalem, he was praying
00:34:39.91\00:34:42.94
in a trance and the Lord him
to leave Jerusalem right now,
00:34:42.98\00:34:47.58
and then in verse 21, it
says, "Then He said to me,
00:34:47.62\00:34:50.39
"Depart for I will send you
far from here to the Gentiles."
00:34:50.45\00:34:54.42
And when Paul gets to
this word, they've had enough.
00:34:54.46\00:34:58.23
They cannot take it anymore;
they raise up their voices
00:34:58.26\00:35:01.83
and they say, "Away
with such a fellow as this."
00:35:01.86\00:35:05.07
They tear off their
clothes almost in preparation
00:35:05.10\00:35:08.10
to begin stoning him;
they throw dust in the air.
00:35:08.14\00:35:11.84
The Roman commander has
to hurry Paul in before he
00:35:11.87\00:35:15.08
is killed again.
00:35:15.11\00:35:16.44
And then, they set him
up, they say, "We're going to
00:35:16.48\00:35:19.55
scourge you; we're going to
whip you and then Paul says,
00:35:19.58\00:35:24.09
"Are you supposed to do
that to a Roman citizen?"
00:35:24.12\00:35:26.25
And the commander has a second
surprise, not only that Paul
00:35:26.29\00:35:28.86
speaks Greek, Paul is a Roman
citizen and he did not purchase
00:35:28.89\00:35:32.46
his citizenship,
he was born a Roman.
00:35:32.49\00:35:35.40
So what I see in this
is that Paul had a passion
00:35:35.43\00:35:38.47
for souls and even when
he was about ready to be
00:35:38.50\00:35:41.67
hurt with the mob, he
wanted to come back out again
00:35:41.70\00:35:44.74
and wanted to share, one last
time, the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:35:44.77\00:35:49.01
Amen! Amen! Praise the Lord!
00:35:49.04\00:35:50.51
You know Paul was
an intrepid person,
00:35:50.55\00:35:52.55
we see this over and over again.
00:35:52.58\00:35:53.98
At the riot and Paul's preaching
did cause a lot of riots.
00:35:54.02\00:35:57.45
In Ephesus, he wanted
also to go into that 24,000
00:35:57.92\00:36:01.59
and talk to them, but they kind
of pulled him back from that.
00:36:01.62\00:36:04.36
They said, "You
can't hush this crowd,
00:36:04.39\00:36:06.73
you better leave
this crowd alone."
00:36:06.76\00:36:08.96
So we see a
pattern in Paul's life...
00:36:09.00\00:36:11.23
an intrepid person for the Lord.
00:36:11.27\00:36:14.27
And if you look at
the times in which we are
00:36:14.30\00:36:17.74
finding ourselves here, it
would take a person of steel
00:36:17.77\00:36:21.41
and grit to persevere.
00:36:21.44\00:36:24.55
I mean you gotta have a
good strong hold on the Lord,
00:36:24.58\00:36:27.52
but you gotta have a
backbone if you're gonna
00:36:27.55\00:36:29.75
do these kinds of
things and go through these
00:36:29.78\00:36:34.52
challenges and trials.
00:36:34.56\00:36:36.06
We are now in Wednesday
and we're looking at Acts 23,
00:36:36.09\00:36:40.10
and I'm going to
read the first five verses
00:36:40.13\00:36:42.40
as Paul now is
before the Sanhedrin.
00:36:42.43\00:36:47.60
Acts 23:1... "Then
Paul, looking earnestly
00:36:47.64\00:36:51.37
at the council, said,
"Men and brethren, I have lived
00:36:51.41\00:36:55.21
in all good conscience
before God until this day."
00:36:55.24\00:36:59.38
And the high priest
Ananias commanded those who
00:36:59.41\00:37:02.85
stood by him to
strike him on the mouth.
00:37:02.88\00:37:05.59
(So Paul got popped in the mouth
here for speaking the truth.)
00:37:05.62\00:37:09.72
Then Paul said to
him, "God will strike you
00:37:09.76\00:37:13.46
you whitewashed wall!"
00:37:13.53\00:37:15.26
So Paul had a little spine,
a little cayenne in his life.
00:37:15.30\00:37:18.93
He was not a weak
person by any stretch.
00:37:18.97\00:37:23.74
"For you sit to judge
me according to the law,
00:37:23.81\00:37:26.71
and do you command me to be
struck contrary to the law?"
00:37:26.78\00:37:32.08
And those who stood by
said, "Do you revile God's
00:37:32.11\00:37:36.52
high priest?" Then Paul
said, "I did not know, brethren,
00:37:36.55\00:37:39.99
that he was the high
priest; for it is written,
00:37:40.06\00:37:42.72
"You shall not speak evil
of a ruler of your people."
00:37:42.76\00:37:46.83
Now in the exegesis of
this particular passage,
00:37:46.90\00:37:52.40
commentary says, "Maybe it
was his eyesight that was bad,
00:37:52.43\00:37:55.57
that he did not know
he was in the presence
00:37:55.60\00:37:57.17
of the high priest."
00:37:57.21\00:37:58.97
But he was just defending
himself and they think the
00:37:59.01\00:38:02.38
thing that caused him
to be hit was the fact that
00:38:02.41\00:38:04.88
he called on the name of
God, and the people who had
00:38:04.91\00:38:09.28
called him in did not
feel that he should be
00:38:09.32\00:38:11.55
summoning in the
name of God at that point.
00:38:11.59\00:38:13.15
He wasn't worthy to do that.
00:38:13.19\00:38:14.56
So the priest said,
"Smack him in the mouth,"
00:38:14.59\00:38:15.99
and got popped in the mouth.
00:38:16.02\00:38:17.36
And it probably wasn't a
little love tap, you know,
00:38:17.39\00:38:19.43
he probably
popped him pretty hard.
00:38:19.46\00:38:20.83
I remember years
ago... when I grew up,
00:38:20.86\00:38:24.30
children did not
insert themselves in parents'
00:38:24.33\00:38:26.57
conversations - you
just didn't do that.
00:38:26.60\00:38:28.80
And I remember my mother
was talking with her aunt,
00:38:28.84\00:38:31.51
and I corrected
her, and I don't know...
00:38:31.54\00:38:35.41
my mother had eyes all around
her head because she wasn't
00:38:35.44\00:38:37.91
even looking at me and
she just backhanded me... Yes!
00:38:37.95\00:38:40.42
you know, and she
caught me right in the mouth,
00:38:40.45\00:38:42.75
and she wasn't looking at me,
you know, but she got me good!
00:38:42.78\00:38:46.19
And of course, my teeth
went into my lip and you know,
00:38:46.22\00:38:48.99
the whole thing and I
thought the sight of blood
00:38:49.02\00:38:50.93
would make her have mercy.
00:38:50.96\00:38:52.29
She said, "Go
wash your mouth out."
00:38:52.33\00:38:53.70
You know, she was just
done, that kind of thing.
00:38:53.73\00:38:55.33
So Paul speaking
the truth, got popped.
00:38:55.36\00:38:57.80
I want to talk a
little bit about the Sanhedrin
00:38:57.83\00:39:00.20
because I think it was a
couple of weeks ago that Mollie
00:39:00.27\00:39:03.97
was talking about the
Sanhedrin as the supreme court.
00:39:04.04\00:39:07.11
That was a very apt
description of what they were.
00:39:07.14\00:39:10.08
The word "Sanhedrin"
means "sitting together
00:39:10.11\00:39:12.75
or counseling together,"
and every town of size
00:39:12.78\00:39:16.12
had its own Sanhedrin.
00:39:16.15\00:39:18.35
It was a group of men who
were charged with dispensing
00:39:18.39\00:39:24.06
justice in that town.
00:39:24.09\00:39:25.73
Now, depending on the
size of the town, it really
00:39:25.76\00:39:28.90
determined what
size Sanhedrin you had.
00:39:28.93\00:39:31.30
THE Sanhedrin, the
GREAT Sanhedrin in Jerusalem
00:39:31.33\00:39:33.84
had 71 individuals, 70
rabbis and the high priest
00:39:33.87\00:39:38.41
who was usually a
Sadducee, not always,
00:39:38.44\00:39:41.08
but invariably,
he was a Sadducee.
00:39:41.11\00:39:43.35
For smaller towns, you
could have 23 or even 3,
00:39:43.38\00:39:47.75
but in order to have a
full Sanhedrin, you had to have
00:39:47.78\00:39:51.19
120 men who were
heads of families.
00:39:51.22\00:39:55.16
They had to be
heads of families.
00:39:55.19\00:39:56.96
That meant, you had to be
married, wife and children,
00:39:57.03\00:40:00.13
and male children too.
00:40:00.20\00:40:02.26
So all of the members of
the Sanhedrin were married men
00:40:02.30\00:40:05.77
with children and male children.
00:40:05.80\00:40:09.17
They convened every single
day except Sabbath and holidays,
00:40:09.20\00:40:13.64
so they were
meeting all of the time.
00:40:13.68\00:40:15.48
And of course, there were a
lot of things that they were
00:40:15.51\00:40:16.95
dealing with making decisions.
00:40:17.01\00:40:19.65
And they could even try
the king - their power was
00:40:19.68\00:40:21.85
pretty extensive.
00:40:21.88\00:40:24.59
We find the justification
for the Sanhedrin in
00:40:24.62\00:40:28.26
Deuteronomy 16 and Numbers 11.
00:40:28.29\00:40:30.63
Now what is interesting...
There were more Sadducees
00:40:30.69\00:40:35.83
on the council than
Pharisees, but there were more
00:40:35.86\00:40:40.87
Pharisees in the
general population.
00:40:40.90\00:40:43.77
You had Pharisees
everywhere you turned around,
00:40:43.84\00:40:45.87
you bumped into a Pharisee.
00:40:45.91\00:40:47.41
In Jerusalem it is
said, by Josephus, that in the
00:40:47.44\00:40:50.68
time of Christ there were
6,000 Pharisees floating around.
00:40:50.71\00:40:53.01
And depending on
whose numbers you listen to,
00:40:53.05\00:40:55.65
Josephus tells us -
around 30,000 Jews in Jerusalem.
00:40:55.68\00:41:00.89
I've also heard, just
recently, a number of 60,000,
00:41:00.96\00:41:03.93
but that would make
the number of Pharisees
00:41:03.96\00:41:06.09
between 10 and 20 percent
of the population is Pharisees.
00:41:06.13\00:41:09.43
So you have Pharisees to the
right and Pharisees to the left,
00:41:09.46\00:41:12.07
you're awash in Pharisees.
00:41:12.10\00:41:14.54
So the Sanhedrin
council contained Sadducees
00:41:14.57\00:41:19.97
which were the
priestly aristocracy,
00:41:20.04\00:41:22.44
and Pharisees which
were the doctors of the law.
00:41:22.48\00:41:26.78
Some of the more famous
high priests were John Hyrcanus.
00:41:26.82\00:41:32.29
These Sadducees were
not just guys who functioned
00:41:32.32\00:41:38.26
in the temple, some of
them were pretty warlike
00:41:38.29\00:41:39.83
and pretty aggressive, pretty
hawkish in their dealings.
00:41:39.86\00:41:43.23
John Hyrcanus was high priest
in the Intertestamental Period,
00:41:43.30\00:41:47.70
and he is the one that
got an army and went up to
00:41:47.74\00:41:50.74
Mount Gerizim and burned
down the Samaritan temple.
00:41:50.77\00:41:54.11
So when Christ went to
talk to the woman at Samaria,
00:41:54.14\00:41:56.68
that temple was still in ruins.
00:41:56.71\00:41:58.31
It was still burned
down, they never repaired it
00:41:58.35\00:42:00.45
which is why she
brought the question to Jesus...
00:42:00.52\00:42:02.35
"Where should we worship?"
Some say here on Mt. Gerizim,
00:42:02.38\00:42:05.19
some say down in Jerusalem."
00:42:05.22\00:42:06.62
And Christ said, "There's coming
a time when it doesn't matter
00:42:06.65\00:42:09.06
where you worship, it's spirit
00:42:09.09\00:42:10.63
and truth that
God is looking for."
00:42:10.66\00:42:12.13
But she was referring to
the fact that your high priest
00:42:12.16\00:42:15.66
came up here and burned
down our church years ago,
00:42:15.70\00:42:18.40
and it has never been repaired.
00:42:18.43\00:42:20.20
Then you've got
Simon bar-Kokhba,
00:42:20.24\00:42:22.64
and the big Bar-Kokhba
Revolt, this was after
00:42:22.67\00:42:25.91
the fall of Jerusalem,
and depending on whose
00:42:25.94\00:42:28.78
numbers you take,
you're talking about 580,000
00:42:28.81\00:42:31.45
Jews killed during that war.
00:42:31.48\00:42:34.08
So the Sadducees or the
high priests, the chief priests
00:42:36.05\00:42:38.92
were not always
passionate priestly guys,
00:42:38.95\00:42:41.02
sometimes they were very
warlike and very, very hawkish.
00:42:41.06\00:42:44.53
As to when it began,
that is the Sanhedrin,
00:42:44.56\00:42:50.80
they say it
happened sometime during the
00:42:50.83\00:42:53.17
Intertestamental Period
when Seleucus, the general
00:42:53.20\00:43:03.08
from Alexander, during
that time and of course you had
00:43:03.11\00:43:05.91
eight kings all
taking the name "Antiochus,"
00:43:05.95\00:43:08.15
that's about the time
that the Sanhedrin began.
00:43:08.18\00:43:10.69
So there was interestingly
enough, Jill, a time when
00:43:10.72\00:43:14.96
all of Israel was
under the control of
00:43:14.99\00:43:18.49
Greek-speaking rulers.
00:43:18.53\00:43:20.50
So this Greek Hellenistic
kind of thing was kind of
00:43:20.53\00:43:25.53
woven into Jerusalem
culture, into Hebrew culture
00:43:25.57\00:43:29.27
from the Intertestamental
Period when Antiochus
00:43:29.30\00:43:32.01
Epiphanes, I defer those names,
Antiochus I, Antiochus II,
00:43:32.04\00:43:34.91
Antiochus III and all
of these guys were running.
00:43:34.94\00:43:37.85
And, in fact, it was
Antiochus Epiphanes who tried to
00:43:37.88\00:43:40.58
profane the temple and
make the Hebrews Greeks.
00:43:40.62\00:43:44.19
So there has always been
this little antagonism...
00:43:44.25\00:43:47.62
the Grecian culture
trying to superimpose itself
00:43:47.66\00:43:49.79
over the Hebrew culture.
00:43:49.82\00:43:51.86
So there is this
latent antagonism between
00:43:51.89\00:43:56.26
Palestinian or Judean Jews
and Greek or Hellenistic Jews
00:43:56.30\00:44:00.47
that's going back
several hundred years because of
00:44:00.54\00:44:03.07
the work of Seleucus and
all of the Antiochus kings.
00:44:03.10\00:44:07.58
So this is the history that
we have now... Paul is coming
00:44:07.61\00:44:10.08
in to speak to this body.
00:44:10.15\00:44:14.22
From the time he left
Ephesus, there was this
00:44:14.25\00:44:16.52
foreboding... we talked about,
I think last week "Agabus"
00:44:16.55\00:44:19.22
and what he said about
when he grabbed Paul's girdle
00:44:19.25\00:44:21.99
and said, you know,
the man that has this is
00:44:22.02\00:44:24.43
is going to run
into some trouble.
00:44:24.46\00:44:25.79
And yet Paul has this
vision from the Lord...
00:44:25.83\00:44:28.26
"You're going to be in
Rome," so that must have kept
00:44:28.30\00:44:30.83
him during these
times that somehow,
00:44:30.87\00:44:32.70
"I'm gonna end up in
Rome, I just kinda need to wade
00:44:32.73\00:44:35.27
my way through all
of this stuff and kinda
00:44:35.30\00:44:38.01
stay on the Lord's side
because my ultimate goal
00:44:38.04\00:44:40.44
is Rome."
00:44:40.48\00:44:41.81
And so as I said, Paul,
for some reason, did not
00:44:41.84\00:44:43.75
recognize that he was in
the presence of the high priest.
00:44:43.81\00:44:47.85
But, you know, Matthew 10:16
says, "Be wise as serpents,
00:44:47.88\00:44:51.72
harmless as doves,"
and my time is getting
00:44:51.75\00:44:53.92
away from here what
I really, really like
00:44:53.96\00:44:55.49
is he knew he had Sadducees
and Pharisees in there,
00:44:55.52\00:44:58.53
so all he had to do was
toss out a little bone...
00:44:58.56\00:45:01.20
He said I'm gonna just
toss out a little something,
00:45:01.23\00:45:03.97
and they kind
of took it and ran.
00:45:04.00\00:45:05.40
So he got the heat
off of himself by saying
00:45:05.43\00:45:07.74
that "I'm looking for and
expecting the resurrection."
00:45:07.77\00:45:10.31
Ummm! Well oh, we don't
want to hear anything about
00:45:10.34\00:45:12.07
resurrection because the
Sadducees don't believe in
00:45:12.11\00:45:14.31
angels, don't
believe in miracles,
00:45:14.34\00:45:16.01
don't believe in
resurrection, don't believe in
00:45:16.04\00:45:17.78
heavenly interposition.
00:45:17.81\00:45:19.15
So the Sadducees went
at it with the Pharisees
00:45:19.18\00:45:21.22
and the heat was off
of Paul and he was able to
00:45:21.25\00:45:23.59
you know - "He who
fights and runs away,
00:45:23.62\00:45:26.32
lives to fight another day." Yes
00:45:26.35\00:45:28.26
So he was able to free himself
from the concentrated heat
00:45:28.29\00:45:32.26
as they went at each other and
then I'll pass the ball to you!
00:45:32.29\00:45:36.36
AMEN! Amen! Okay,
so we are going to look
00:45:36.40\00:45:39.67
at his transfer to "Caesarea"
and let me just explain...
00:45:39.70\00:45:44.61
You may have always
heard it "Ses-ar-e-ah,"
00:45:44.64\00:45:46.84
that's what I always
heard, but when we were in
00:45:46.88\00:45:49.11
Israel, we learned
it was "See-sar-e-ah,"
00:45:49.14\00:45:52.25
so that's how I'll pronounce it.
00:45:52.28\00:45:53.62
And in Acts 23 on
Thursday, this Transfer,
00:45:53.68\00:45:58.45
basically what we're
going to see is Paul claims that
00:45:58.49\00:46:01.46
the Sanhedrin had
him on trial because
00:46:01.49\00:46:03.99
of his hope in the resurrection,
and since they couldn't get
00:46:04.06\00:46:07.50
rid of him by
legal means, a murderous
00:46:07.56\00:46:11.77
conspiracy is hatched.
00:46:11.80\00:46:14.24
A group actually
orchestrates the idea to ambush
00:46:14.74\00:46:18.64
and kill Paul and we'll
see that the Roman commander
00:46:18.67\00:46:22.81
comes to the rescue!
00:46:22.84\00:46:24.25
Okay, Acts 23:10-17...
"Now when there arose
00:46:24.28\00:46:28.62
a great dissension,
the commander, fearing less
00:46:28.65\00:46:31.45
Paul might be pulled to
pieces by them, commanded the
00:46:31.49\00:46:34.79
soldiers to go down and take
him by force from among them..."
00:46:34.82\00:46:37.76
We've kind of looked over this.
00:46:37.79\00:46:39.33
He brought him to the barracks,
00:46:39.36\00:46:41.10
"But the following
night, the Lord stood by him
00:46:41.13\00:46:44.03
and said, "Be of good
cheer, take courage Paul for
00:46:44.07\00:46:49.17
as you have testified for
Me in Jerusalem, so you must
00:46:49.20\00:46:54.04
also bear witness in Rome."
00:46:54.08\00:46:57.21
You know, can you
imagine what a glorious night
00:46:57.25\00:47:01.68
this must have been for him?
00:47:01.72\00:47:03.05
I mean, here he is going
through all of these problems,
00:47:03.08\00:47:05.35
but God is letting him
know... "I'm in control of the
00:47:05.39\00:47:08.19
situation Paul - I'm
just reminding you and listen,
00:47:08.22\00:47:12.93
I've got a plan for your life,
you're going to go to Rome."
00:47:12.96\00:47:16.00
And boy, Paul has been
wanting and even written
00:47:16.03\00:47:18.40
that he wanted to and now
he finally got the promise
00:47:18.43\00:47:21.54
from God, so he is
comforted, he is cheered
00:47:21.57\00:47:24.67
because in spite of
all these difficulties,
00:47:24.71\00:47:27.21
he's going to
get to speak in Rome.
00:47:27.28\00:47:28.78
In verse 12...
"And when it was day,
00:47:28.81\00:47:31.51
some of the Jews banded
together and bound themselves
00:47:31.55\00:47:34.22
under an oath, saying
that they would neither eat nor
00:47:34.25\00:47:37.09
drink till they had killed Paul.
00:47:37.12\00:47:39.19
Now there were more
than 40 who had formed this
00:47:39.22\00:47:43.32
conspiracy"... (this is
the only time this word is used
00:47:43.36\00:47:47.03
in the entire New
Testament, this "conspiracy."
00:47:47.10\00:47:50.27
It was a skillful plot
that they would kill Paul,
00:47:50.33\00:47:55.84
and it would likely
have succeeded if God
00:47:55.87\00:47:58.51
hadn't intervened.)
00:47:58.54\00:48:00.04
Continuing in verse
14... "They came to the chief
00:48:00.11\00:48:02.91
priests and elders and
said, "We have bound ourselves
00:48:02.94\00:48:06.18
under a great oath
that we will eat nothing
00:48:06.21\00:48:10.32
until we have killed Paul."
00:48:10.35\00:48:11.79
Now therefore, you, together
with the council, suggest
00:48:11.82\00:48:16.22
to the commander that
he be brought down to you
00:48:16.26\00:48:19.09
tomorrow as though you
were going to make further
00:48:19.13\00:48:20.86
inquiries concerning him,
but we are ready to kill him
00:48:20.93\00:48:25.43
before he comes near."
00:48:25.47\00:48:27.34
So these radical Jews -
it's interesting, they avoided
00:48:27.37\00:48:31.44
the minority Pharisees,
I mean, there were more
00:48:31.47\00:48:35.84
of the Pharisees,
but they didn't have the
00:48:35.88\00:48:37.85
superior positions,
so what did they do?
00:48:37.88\00:48:40.45
They go straight to
Ananias and his other cohorts
00:48:40.52\00:48:43.12
on the Sanhedrin Council,
warned the Sadducees - Why?
00:48:43.15\00:48:46.42
Because the Pharisees
had stood up for him in that
00:48:46.45\00:48:48.92
argument when he tossed it
out about resurrection - well,
00:48:48.96\00:48:54.46
the Sadducees didn't
like it, but the Pharisees
00:48:54.50\00:48:56.46
are going, "YEAH," so
they stood up for him.
00:48:56.50\00:48:59.53
So this is what's
interesting to me...
00:48:59.57\00:49:02.37
Ananias and his cohorts
in the Sanhedrin Council
00:49:02.40\00:49:07.04
are ready to break one
of the Ten Commandments,
00:49:07.11\00:49:11.71
they are ready to murder
because they are so inflamed by
00:49:11.75\00:49:17.75
religious emotions and
they're so protective of
00:49:17.79\00:49:22.06
their Mosaic Law
- that they're ready
00:49:22.09\00:49:24.36
to commit murder,
and you know what?
00:49:24.39\00:49:26.63
If they had - for
murdering a Roman prisoner,
00:49:26.73\00:49:30.77
they could have
all been executed.
00:49:30.80\00:49:32.67
So it's like all of their good
sense just went out, you know,
00:49:32.70\00:49:37.61
... hatred blinds and
it confuses minds and they
00:49:37.64\00:49:43.24
were provoked with
such antagonistic feelings.
00:49:43.28\00:49:47.32
They weren't
even paying attention
00:49:47.35\00:49:48.92
to their own personal security.
00:49:48.95\00:49:50.49
So verse 16... "So
when Paul's sister's son...
00:49:50.52\00:49:54.39
(interesting, we don't
know much about Paul's family,
00:49:54.42\00:49:57.23
but obviously he had a sister,
she had a young teenage boy)
00:49:57.26\00:50:01.20
When Paul's sister's
son heard of their ambush,
00:50:01.23\00:50:03.20
he went and he entered
the barracks, and he told Paul
00:50:03.23\00:50:06.70
then Paul called one of
the centurions to him and said,
00:50:06.74\00:50:09.97
"Take this young man to
the commander for he has
00:50:10.01\00:50:11.84
something to tell
him." (you know what?
00:50:11.87\00:50:13.94
the more people who know
a secret, the more a secret
00:50:13.98\00:50:17.61
gets known - is that not true?)
00:50:17.65\00:50:19.38
So somehow Paul's
teenage nephew learns about
00:50:19.41\00:50:24.49
this plot - we don't know
how, but God intended to use him
00:50:24.52\00:50:28.26
to deliver Paul.
00:50:28.29\00:50:29.62
And the Romans had first
arrested Paul because he was
00:50:29.66\00:50:32.93
a troublemaker and now,
they're holding him though
00:50:32.96\00:50:36.83
in protective custody.
00:50:36.90\00:50:39.43
This is a guardian relationship,
they have learned he is Roman.
00:50:39.47\00:50:43.54
This is a guardian relationship,
perhaps that's why they
00:50:43.57\00:50:47.01
allowed the
nephew to go visit Paul.
00:50:47.04\00:50:50.51
But Paul didn't trust the
centurion with the message,
00:50:50.58\00:50:55.95
he asked the centurion - "Take
my nephew to Claudius Lysias."
00:50:55.98\00:51:01.52
So Acts 23:18-30...
"He took him (this is the
00:51:01.56\00:51:05.66
centurion) he brought him
to the commander and he said,
00:51:05.69\00:51:09.43
"Paul the prisoner has
called me to him and asked me
00:51:09.46\00:51:12.77
to bring this young man to you.
He has something to say to you."
00:51:12.80\00:51:15.90
Then the commander took
him by the hand, (that shows
00:51:15.94\00:51:18.74
that he was a young teenager)
and he went aside and asked
00:51:18.77\00:51:22.61
privately, "What is it
that you have to tell me?"
00:51:22.64\00:51:25.58
And he said, (the nephew
says) "The Jews have agreed to
00:51:25.61\00:51:28.92
ask that you bring Paul
down to the council tomorrow,
00:51:28.95\00:51:31.32
as though they were going to
inquire more fully about him.
00:51:31.35\00:51:34.46
But do not yield to
them, for more than 40 of them
00:51:34.49\00:51:38.09
lie in wait for him, men
who have bound themselves by
00:51:38.13\00:51:41.13
an oath that they will neither
eat nor drink till they've
00:51:41.16\00:51:43.70
killed him and now they
are ready, waiting for the
00:51:43.73\00:51:46.97
promise from you."
So the commander let the
00:51:47.00\00:51:49.94
young man depart, and
commanded him, "Tell no one
00:51:49.97\00:51:54.24
that you have
revealed these things to me."
00:51:54.28\00:51:57.48
The commander was a seasoned
veteran of Jerusalem duty.
00:51:57.51\00:52:03.69
He knew how vicious
and capable of violence
00:52:03.72\00:52:06.86
the Jews could be.
00:52:06.89\00:52:08.29
And here's where Paul's Roman
citizenship benefited him...
00:52:08.32\00:52:12.59
Because by law, a
Roman was guaranteed to have
00:52:12.63\00:52:19.27
a legal trial and, if for
any reason, he thought his
00:52:19.30\00:52:23.47
trial was unfair, he
could appeal to Caesar.
00:52:23.51\00:52:27.04
So he is now (this is
already what's going on here)
00:52:27.08\00:52:32.15
and so the commander
can't ignore this report
00:52:32.18\00:52:37.05
of conspiracy because by
Roman law, what happens if
00:52:37.09\00:52:40.32
you lose the Roman
prisoner? You lose your life!
00:52:40.36\00:52:43.69
So Lysias intended to
act upon it immediately.
00:52:43.73\00:52:47.23
Boy, it almost sounds
like overkill, but I think he
00:52:47.30\00:52:50.40
knew if there was 40
Jews banding together,
00:52:50.43\00:52:52.43
that there was
going to be more show up.
00:52:52.47\00:52:53.97
So verse 23... "He
called for two centurions
00:52:54.00\00:52:58.04
saying, "Prepare 200 soldiers,
70 horsemen, 200 spearmen,
00:52:58.07\00:53:03.78
to go to Caesarea at
the third hour of the night,
00:53:03.85\00:53:09.45
and provide mounts to set
Paul on and bring him safely
00:53:09.48\00:53:13.59
to Felix the governor."
00:53:13.66\00:53:15.82
So Caesarea was named in
honor of a Augustus Caesar.
00:53:15.86\00:53:20.33
It was built by Herod the Great,
it was on the Mediterranean
00:53:20.40\00:53:24.50
Coast and it was approximately
60 to 70 miles from Jerusalem.
00:53:24.53\00:53:28.40
And Caesarea was where the
Roman army, military forces
00:53:28.44\00:53:33.68
had their headquarters.
00:53:33.74\00:53:35.21
So Governor Felix -
he's an interesting man.
00:53:35.24\00:53:37.78
Governor Felix had been a
Greek slave, he had been freed.
00:53:37.81\00:53:40.88
He married, he rose to
power and he ruled with cruelty,
00:53:40.92\00:53:46.59
but he married a Jewish
woman by the name of "Drusilla."
00:53:46.62\00:53:51.36
And so now Claudius,
the commander, is riding to
00:53:51.39\00:53:56.90
the governor and
here's what he writes...
00:53:56.93\00:53:59.50
Beginning with verse
25... He wrote a letter
00:53:59.53\00:54:03.00
in the following manner...
00:54:03.04\00:54:04.37
Claudius Lysias,
To the most excellent
00:54:04.41\00:54:06.47
governor Felix: Greetings.
00:54:06.51\00:54:08.04
This man was seized by
the Jews and was about to be
00:54:08.08\00:54:10.78
killed by them. Coming
with the troops, I rescued him,
00:54:10.85\00:54:13.52
having learned
that he was a Roman.
00:54:13.55\00:54:15.45
And when I wanted to know
the reason they accused him,
00:54:15.48\00:54:17.52
I brought him
before their council.
00:54:17.59\00:54:18.92
I found out that he
was accused concerning
00:54:18.95\00:54:21.99
questions of their
law, but had nothing charged
00:54:22.02\00:54:24.13
against him
deserving of death or chains.
00:54:24.16\00:54:27.40
And when it was told me
that the Jews lay in wait
00:54:27.40\00:54:30.17
for the man, I sent him
immediately to you and also
00:54:30.23\00:54:34.44
commanded his
accusers to state before you
00:54:34.47\00:54:36.77
the charges
against him. Farewell.
00:54:36.81\00:54:39.24
So basically he is
saying, "Hey, nothing in Paul's
00:54:39.27\00:54:42.91
behavior challenged Roman
law, it was purely a dispute
00:54:42.94\00:54:46.88
of the Jewish
religion, their theology."
00:54:46.92\00:54:49.32
And, this is a special
situation since Paul is
00:54:49.35\00:54:53.19
has Roman
citizenship and Lysias had
00:54:54.22\00:54:57.93
no reason to imprison him.
00:54:57.96\00:54:59.29
So at 9 p.m., under
the cover of darkness,
00:54:59.33\00:55:05.10
he sends 470 Roman soldiers...
00:55:05.13\00:55:07.64
Now it's interesting, there were
200 infantrymen - foot soldiers,
00:55:07.67\00:55:12.51
200 spearmen and they
went as far as Antipatras
00:55:12.54\00:55:16.88
and then they stopped, rested
and returned to the barracks.
00:55:16.95\00:55:21.12
But the 70 cavalry
accompanied Paul on his horse
00:55:21.15\00:55:24.72
all the way to
Caesarea and when he arrived,
00:55:24.75\00:55:27.89
irrespective of
Felix's reputation,
00:55:27.92\00:55:30.43
Felix actually does
treat him with the proper
00:55:30.46\00:55:33.73
legal manner and he
interrogates Paul and then he
00:55:33.80\00:55:39.17
orders them to be kept under
guard until his accusers arrive.
00:55:39.20\00:55:43.00
Amen! Well
done! Praise the Lord!
00:55:43.04\00:55:45.01
We have less than 2 minutes and
I want to just read something
00:55:45.04\00:55:47.38
I think this sums up and may
help us as we move forward...
00:55:47.44\00:55:50.51
Found in "The Acts of
the Apostles," p.417-418,
00:55:50.55\00:55:52.68
in our lesson, listen carefully,
It says, "Had the leaders
00:55:52.71\00:55:55.98
in the church fully surrendered
their feelings and bitterness
00:55:56.02\00:55:58.95
toward the apostle and accepted
him as one specially called of
00:55:58.99\00:56:02.62
God to bear the gospel
(notice this) to the Gentiles,
00:56:02.66\00:56:05.19
the Lord would have spared him
to them. God had not ordained
00:56:05.23\00:56:10.07
that Paul's labors should
so soon end, but he did not
00:56:10.10\00:56:13.94
work a miracle to counteract
the train of circumstances
00:56:13.97\00:56:16.84
to which the course of
the leaders in the church at
00:56:16.91\00:56:19.84
Jerusalem had given rise.
00:56:19.87\00:56:21.64
Notice... This
same spirit is still
00:56:21.68\00:56:23.65
leading to the same
results. A neglect to appreciate
00:56:23.68\00:56:26.85
and improve the provisions
of divine grace has deprived
00:56:26.92\00:56:29.62
the church of many a blessing.
00:56:29.65\00:56:31.82
How often would the Lord
have prolonged the work of some
00:56:31.85\00:56:34.42
faithful ministers, had
their labors been appreciated!
00:56:34.46\00:56:38.36
But if the church permits
the enemy of souls to pervert
00:56:38.39\00:56:42.23
the understanding, so that they
misrepresent and misinterpret
00:56:42.26\00:56:45.73
the words and acts of
the servant of Christ;
00:56:45.77\00:56:48.47
if they allow themselves
to stand in his way and hinder
00:56:48.50\00:56:52.04
his usefulness, the Lord
sometimes removes from them
00:56:52.07\00:56:55.48
the blessings which he gives."
00:56:55.51\00:56:57.61
Kind of a very interesting
thought here and it ends up
00:56:57.65\00:57:01.05
this way here - God allows
them their work to be cut short,
00:57:01.08\00:57:04.92
but it says this at the
end of that... "Their death may
00:57:04.95\00:57:09.16
accomplish that which
their life has failed to do."
00:57:09.19\00:57:13.29
And even they're talking about
Paul how interesting here...
00:57:13.33\00:57:16.00
Compromise - bless his
heart, backfired, it backfired.
00:57:16.03\00:57:21.60
Because the people did
not appreciate the ministers
00:57:21.64\00:57:23.81
and those who in
leadership positions - sometimes
00:57:23.84\00:57:25.94
God removes the faithful.
00:57:25.97\00:57:27.31
God bless you,
thank you for watching.
00:57:27.38\00:57:28.71
We'll see ya next time.
00:57:28.74\00:57:30.35